The article highlights that the American Hospital Association
recently surveyed 1,007 hospitals about their use of complementary
and alternative medicine therapies. More than 80 percent said they
offered massage therapy. Upwards of 70 percent said they used
massage for pain management and relief.

The growing use of massage therapy in hospitals and integrative
medical settings is why NUHS provides its massage students with
internship experience in an on-campus integrative medical
clinic. NUHS massage
therapy graduates are prepared to successfully bring their
skills into a medical environment.

In addition, massage therapy students at NUHS enjoy the prestige
of studying at a university boasting many noted leaders in the
massage therapy profession, such as Dr. Cambron.

Do you or someone you know get the wintertime "blues"? Less
sunlight in the winter, coupled with more time indoors, can trigger
what is known as "Seasonal
Affective Disorder" in many people. SAD can prove to be a
serious form of depression and reduce the quality of life for those
with the disorder.

One of the many therapies that can help SAD is
massage. A recent article from the American Massage
Therapy Association catalogs several proven ways in which massage
therapy can counteract physiological mood factors that often
accompany SAD. According to the AMTA, massage can:

Reduce anxiety and depression with a course of care
providing benefits similar in magnitude to those of
psychotherapy.

Improve mental health by
reducing depression in individuals with HIV, lessen
anxiety in cancer patients, reduce anxiety and depression in
military veterans and lower work-related stress for
nurses.

Treating those with SAD is one of the many ways that massage
therapists can offer real help to their clients as part of an
integrative medical team. Want to learn more about massage therapy
in an integrative medical setting? Just visit our website!

And if winter has you down, why not schedule a massage at the NUHS Whole Health
Center in Lombard? You can also work with our chiropractic,
naturopathic or oriental medicine clinicians to find additional
treatments to help reduce the symptoms of SAD.

Holidays can be fun, but they can be busy and stressful as well.
With family obligations, financial demands, and a full schedule of
activities, many people experience tension or even depression this
time of year.

That's why taking advantage of a professional massage is a great
self-care tool during the holidays. Massage has been shown to lower
blood pressure, reduce pain and tension, and can be a great way to
de-stress.

It may seem impossible to find the time for a massage in between
your holiday shopping, cooking and social commitments, so here are
some tips:

Book your massage in advance, as this time of year can be busy
for massage therapists, clinics and spas too.

Ideally, try to plan your massage for a day and time where you
can relax afterwards with low-key activities.

If an hour seems too much to squeeze into your busy pre-holiday
schedule, how about a half-hour massage? Or even a quick stop at
the chair massage station in your local mall?

In addition to taking care of yourself, giving the gift of
massage to others during the holidays is a great idea. Think of
those you know who would enjoy feeling pampered, or who are
interested in health and wellness, or who would appreciate the
stress reduction of a professional massage. A massage gift
certificate is often a creative, unexpected and welcome
surprise.

For those in the Chicago area, National
University's Whole Health Center in Lombard offers massage gift
certificates year-round. Your friends and loved ones will enjoy a
relaxing therapeutic massage in one of our comfortable massage
therapy suites. (Hint: Massage gift certificates are also great
for workplace gift exchanges, raffle prizes and thank you
gifts.)

Kelly Dixon graduated as valedictorian of her massage therapy
class at National University. Her speech was extraordinary, in that
she used her own story to show that massage therapists can indeed
be superheroes. How? By the dramatic effect they can have on the
lives of others.

Here are some excerpts from Kelly's speech:

"We start thinking about the
future so early in life. Dreaming of being princesses, superheroes,
doctors or astronauts. We are impatient to grow up and fulfill
those dreams … Somewhere along the way… we began to doubt
ourselves.

But during our time here at
National, some of that doubt has melted away…Through our hands we
have the potential to alter someone's reality. The very first time
we each hear those words "You have changed my life," it will hit us
hard, leaving us awestruck in the realization that we can have such
a profound effect on another individual….

Seven years ago I was living
with chronic pain and I didn't know it. It had come on so gradually
that I hardly noticed. I never consciously felt the pain, just the
effects. But then I got a massage and afterwards I sat in my car
and cried. I hadn't realized I hurt so much. When I had that
realization is when I decided to become a massage
therapist….

So as we walk out the doors
today… let us also take a moment and embrace the fact that we do
powerful work. Let us embark upon this next chapter of our lives
with all the enthusiasm of a young child heading out of their room
towards the backyard wearing cape or crown because now we have
grown up to be something much more exciting than a princess or
batman. Wearethe superheroes. We may not save the damsel in
distress from the latest villain, but we will save the restaurant
servers who work all day from their sore backs. We will save nurses
from aching legs. And yes we will save college students everywhere
from tension headaches during not just midterms but finals as well,
becauseweare healers who will change lives.

Congratulations Kelly, and to all the future superheroes who
will graduate from National University!

October 19-25th is "Massage Therapy
Awareness Week." The health experts at National
University of Health Sciences want you to know the top five
health benefits of adding regular massage therapy to your health
and wellness strategy.

Massage therapy from a licensed practitioner can:

Lower stress
The long-term effects of stress can take emotional and physical
tolls. Massage therapy may relieve stress and conditions
associated with it, such as tension headaches.

Increase immune function
Medical research indicates that massage therapy can help boost
immune system strength by increasing the activity level of the
body's natural "killer T cells," which fight off viruses.

Boost mental health and wellness
Research suggests that symptoms of stress, anxiety and
depression (all associated with mental health) may be directly
affected with massage therapy.

Manage pain
Pain can negatively affect a person's quality of life and impede
recovery from illness or injury. Recent findings highlight the role of massage
in pain management.